Are you supposed to cut the garlic scapes?

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I have noticed my garlic plants are getting scapes. Since this is the first time I have ever grown garlic, am I supposed to cut them off?

I love garlic and I want the garlic to store well for winter.

Thanks, Melissa

 

[patandchickens]

It's probably best to. Most people will cut them as soon as they have curled into a full circle; some remove them sooner. Partly it depends on if you're eating them and want them very tender.

Truthfully, I often miss some in my garlic and have not noticed that those plants produce any noticeably smaller heads at harvest time; although I couldn't tell you about effect on storage.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[wsmoak]

I didn't know what you were talking about and searched... how neat! So apparently you're supposed to cut them off and eat them.

http://www.goinglocal-info.com/my_weblog/2008/06/garlic-scapes.html

--
Wendy

 

[wifezilla]

Oh yum! I will have to watch and see if my garlic develops any.

 

[hoodat]

They're especialy good for giving a mild garlic flavor to soups and stir fries.

 

[patandchickens]

Oh yum! I will have to watch and see if my garlic develops any.

Hardneck garlic almost always does; softneck garlic almost never.

Pat

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Well, my garlic bed has some garlic from wegrowgarlic. Then because there were bare spots, I bought a couple at the grocery store and put them in too. I don't know which is which, but plan on keeping the a few bulbs of the tastiest to replant.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I got this from the front page of wegrowgarlic

June 13, 2010 - The garlic scapes are in full swing here in Wisconsin. They started forming this year on Memorial Day weekend with the Turbans and some of the early varieties. The scapes are the "flower stalks" of the garlic plants on which the bulbil capsules form which contain bulbils or small garlic "seeds." If you are harvesting your scapes to eat, the best time to cut them is just as they start to curl as in the photo. Cut them just above the top leaf of the plant. Garlic harvest is generally two to three weeks after the scapes form so it's not too far off!

page link http://www.wegrowgarlic.com/

So I might be harvesting soon.

 

[wifezilla]

I have mystery garlic and elephant garlic. I guess I will know more what type of garlic my mystery garlic is if I get scapes

 

[oberhaslikid]

You gotta try them !I look so forward to scape time. I put mine in omeletts.